U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,741 discloses a flexible multi-layered covering article for protection against the hazards of exposure to the environment in outer space. The covering includes, inter alia, a layer intended for protection against, for example, Bremsstrahlung.
GB 2 118 410 A describes an article affording protection against radiation comprising at least one flexible layer of lead-containing material in an envelope of, or sandwiched between two layers of a knitted, woven or non-woven fabric, wherein the knitted, woven or non-woven fabric carries a coating of flexible polyurethane on its outer surface. However, the inventors of the present invention have found that such articles for protection against radiation having a polyurethane coating on the outer surface are subjected to a very high degree of abrasion when they are used for example in medical applications.
Thus, it was one object of the present invention to provide a microfibrous web having improved abrasion resistance.